Page 1 of Savage Promises
PROLOGUE
Lennox Donnelly – Age 18
He’s here!
I stop in my tracks, my heart thumping, blood pounding in my ears.
Shane Quinlanshouldn’tbe here, though. Not in my house. Not at my birthday party. Not anywhere near me.
And yet, there he is. With crossed arms and a narrowed gaze, a halo of light bathes his broad shoulders. Leaning against the battered old pool table in my family’s raw and unpolished basement, he looks like this is the last place he wants to be.
Why would a high-ranking Quinlan brother, who works for the Irish Mob of Astoria, want to be at a high school senior’s birthday party? Especially when his familyhatesmy father who also works for the O’Rourkes. But Shaneisbest buds with my older brother.
On the down low.
Garrett blocks my line of sight to Shane and yanks me into a headlock. “Happy birthday, Lenny the loser,” the jerk teases me.
“Don’t call me that!” I growl and drive my elbow into his ribs.
He grunts, loosening his hold just enough for me to break free. I quickly fix my hair and glance back at Shane, hoping he didn’t notice.
“Where’s Neve?” I ask.
“Top of the stairs. Spying on you,” Garrett says wryly, having abdicated his promise to keep our nosy little sister away from my party.
“She’s twelve and is supposed to be in bed.” I adore my sister, buteverythingis always about her.
Tonight is my night.
Garrett curses under his breath and slogs to the stairs to chase Neve up to her bedroom.
When I turn back, Shane is looking at me. A rush of heat floods my stomach, and I swear, I can’t breathe. His piercing stare holds until a burst of teenage laughter near the television shifts his gaze away.
Why is he even here? The Donnellys and the Quinlans don’t mix in public functions. They barely speak behind closed doors. They sure as hell don’t show up at each other’s birthday parties.
For a stupid, reckless second, I let myself believe Shane is here to see me. And wasn’t dragged here because Garrett has to stay and supervise. Shane’s older brothers are more powerful than Garrett, who’s merely a bagman for my dad’s squad. Shane is smart and calculating. He plants cameras and bugs for his brothers’ investigation company.
And I’ve had the stupidest crush on him since I was fifteen. He’s only ever seen me as his friend’s little sister, but I’m eighteen now.
The sacrifice and risk he’s taking being seen at the Donnelly house, for my birthday no less, thrills me. Maybe the tide is turning. Or maybe he’s just here for the booze and cake. I made the delicious cake myself, but the booze isn’t anything to risk your reputation over.
As a Quinlan, Shane can do whatever the heck he wants. Right now, that includes just gazing at the crowd of kids with a mask of annoyance. Maybe because he’stwenty-six and finds high school brats...annoying.
Shane, who’s unmistakably a Quinlan with a Hollywood square jaw that looks carved from granite, is right there, but so far away. Untouchable. I doubt he has any clue what it means to me that he showed up tonight.
His dark auburn hair looks a little too long these days. The sleeves of his leather jacket are pushed up, and his muscular forearms take my breath away. God, how does he always look so perfect? It’s unfair really.
As if he feels me staring, his steely blue eyes flick my way again. I blush at being caught gawking at the youngest Quinlan brother. As far as I’m concerned, he’s the only one. The only brother who matters.
When his penetrating gaze stays on me for longer than two seconds, my stomach flips so hard it hurts. I turn away and bump into Mara.
“Did you get anything good for your birthday?” my bestie asks me.
“The usual,” I say.
I got nothing.
If my mother were still around, I know she would have bought me an extra special gift, but she tragically died two years ago in a car accident. A drunk driver T-boned her BMW. After that, Dad stopped celebrating everything. No Christmases, no birthdays. Not even the anniversary of her death.
